It wasn't so much a question of whether visiting Australian GM Darryl Johansen would win the South Island Championship in Ashburton earlier this month, but by how much. However, Christchurch FM Stephen Lukey exceeded expectations by drawing their individual game and winning the remainder to keep pace with Johansen throughout. These two shared first place in the 31 player tournament on 7½/8, ahead of CM Helen Milligan of Auckland and the writer in third place back on 5½. Lukey, as the highest placed South Islander, won the Championship trophy for the seventh time.
The Rapid Championship followed the main event and ended in a four-way tie for first on 5/6 between FM Scott Wastney (Wellington), Joroslav Shanel (Czech Republic), John Sutherland (Otago) and Edward Rains (Christchurch). Sutherland and Rains are the joint South Island Rapid Champions for 2014.
Today's game is the draw between the co-winners in the main event. Johansen is playing White against Lukey.
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 c5
In the Tarrasch Defence to the Queen's Gambit, Black accepts an isolated d-pawn in return for active piece play. 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bg5 d4
White's pressure compels Black to advance the pawn if he wants to retain its active potential. The alternative is to exchange it e.g. 10... Be6 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Nxd5 Qxb2, though after 13.Nc7 and eventual Nxe6 White retains an advantage in pawn structure. 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.Nd2 Bg4 14.Nb3 Bb6 15.Nf4
Heading for the key blockading square on d3. The alternatives were to grab the two bishops with 15.Nxb6 or retain both options by 15.Re1. 15... Re8 16.Re1 Qd7 17.Rc1 Rad8 18.Nd3 Qe7 19.Qd2 Be6!? 20.Nbc5
Declining the pawn offer which after 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Rxc6 Bd5 22.Rc2 Qe4 23.f3 Qf5 would give Black persistent pressure with the two bishops against White's weakened kingside. 20... Bd5
Neutralising the bishop on g2. White has active play on the queenside, centred around his knight outpost on c5, which Black must counter with play on the kingside. 21.b4 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 h5 23.a3 a5!
Black's last two moves are in line with Bent Larsen's dictum, “when in doubt, push the rooks' pawns!” The point in this case is to prevent White from stabilising the position, when his centralised knights and compact pawn structure would offer chances to gain the advantage. 24.Rc2 axb4 25.axb4 h4 26.Rec1 Rd6 27.Qf4 Rh6 28.Qf5 Rf6 29.Qg4 hxg3 30.hxg3 Rg6 31.Qf5 Rf6
After a bit of cat-and-mouse, the white queen has kept Black's attack at bay on the kingside. Here Black passed up the chance to carry out a latent combination: 31... Nxb4!? 32.Nxb4 Rg5 skewering queen and knight and winning a pawn. But after 33.Qf3! Rxc5 34.Nd5 Qd6 35.Rxc5 Bxc5 36.Qf5! (threatening 37.Rxc5!) b6 37.Rh1 Qg6 38.Qh3 Qe4+ 39.Kg1 Qb1+ Black must take the perpetual check. 32.Qd5 Rd8
An immediate draw was available by 32... Bxc5 33.Rxc5 Rd6 34. Qf5 (34... Qe4+ can't be allowed) 34... Rf6 35.Qd5 Rd6 etc. Instead Black swaps into an ending. 33.Qe4 Bxc5 34.Nxc5 Qxe4+ 35.Nxe4 Rf5 36.Rb2 Rb5 37.Rc4 Ne5 38.Rc5 Rd5 39.Rxd5 Rxd5 40.Rc2 d3
Liquidating the queenside pawns, after which a draw should be inevitable. 41.exd3 Nxd3 42.Rc8+ Kh7 43.Rc7 Kg6 44.Rxb7 Rd4 45.Rb6+ f6 46.Rd6?
Accompanied by the desired draw offer, which with both players short of time, Black naturally accepted. After 46... Rxe4? 47.Rxd3 Rxb4 the draw is obvious, but in a late twist the grandmaster has just blundered a piece: 46... Ne1+! 47. Kf1 Rxe4 defends the knight, with a winning advantage to Black. It just goes to show, there is always hope for us mere mortals!
Lukey wins seventh South Island title
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
It wasn't so much a question of whether visiting Australian GM Darryl Johansen would win the South Island Championship in Ashburton earlier this month, but by how much. However, Christchurch FM Stephen Lukey exceeded expectations by drawing their individual game and winning the remainder to keep pace with Johansen throughout. These two shared first place in the 31 player tournament on 7½/8, ahead of CM Helen Milligan of Auckland and the writer in third place back on 5½. Lukey, as the highest placed South Islander, won the Championship trophy for the seventh time.
The Rapid Championship followed the main event and ended in a four-way tie for first on 5/6 between FM Scott Wastney (Wellington), Joroslav Shanel (Czech Republic), John Sutherland (Otago) and Edward Rains (Christchurch). Sutherland and Rains are the joint South Island Rapid Champions for 2014.
Today's game is the draw between the co-winners in the main event. Johansen is playing White against Lukey.
1.c4 e6
2.Nf3 d5
3.d4 c5
In the Tarrasch Defence to the Queen's Gambit, Black accepts an isolated d-pawn in return for active piece play.
4.cxd5 exd5
5.Nc3 Nc6
6.g3 Nf6
7.Bg2 Be7
8.O-O O-O
9.dxc5 Bxc5
10.Bg5 d4
White's pressure compels Black to advance the pawn if he wants to retain its active potential. The alternative is to exchange it e.g. 10... Be6 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Nxd5 Qxb2, though after 13.Nc7 and eventual Nxe6 White retains an advantage in pawn structure.
11.Bxf6 Qxf6
12.Nd5 Qd8
13.Nd2 Bg4
14.Nb3 Bb6
15.Nf4
Heading for the key blockading square on d3. The alternatives were to grab the two bishops with 15.Nxb6 or retain both options by 15.Re1.
15... Re8
16.Re1 Qd7
17.Rc1 Rad8
18.Nd3 Qe7
19.Qd2 Be6!?
20.Nbc5
Declining the pawn offer which after 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Rxc6 Bd5 22.Rc2 Qe4 23.f3 Qf5 would give Black persistent pressure with the two bishops against White's weakened kingside.
20... Bd5
Neutralising the bishop on g2. White has active play on the queenside, centred around his knight outpost on c5, which Black must counter with play on the kingside.
21.b4 Bxg2
22.Kxg2 h5
23.a3 a5!
Black's last two moves are in line with Bent Larsen's dictum, “when in doubt, push the rooks' pawns!” The point in this case is to prevent White from stabilising the position, when his centralised knights and compact pawn structure would offer chances to gain the advantage.
24.Rc2 axb4
25.axb4 h4
26.Rec1 Rd6
27.Qf4 Rh6
28.Qf5 Rf6
29.Qg4 hxg3
30.hxg3 Rg6
31.Qf5 Rf6
After a bit of cat-and-mouse, the white queen has kept Black's attack at bay on the kingside. Here Black passed up the chance to carry out a latent combination: 31... Nxb4!? 32.Nxb4 Rg5 skewering queen and knight and winning a pawn. But after 33.Qf3! Rxc5 34.Nd5 Qd6 35.Rxc5 Bxc5 36.Qf5! (threatening 37.Rxc5!) b6 37.Rh1 Qg6 38.Qh3 Qe4+ 39.Kg1 Qb1+ Black must take the perpetual check.
32.Qd5 Rd8
An immediate draw was available by 32... Bxc5 33.Rxc5 Rd6 34. Qf5 (34... Qe4+ can't be allowed) 34... Rf6 35.Qd5 Rd6 etc. Instead Black swaps into an ending.
33.Qe4 Bxc5
34.Nxc5 Qxe4+
35.Nxe4 Rf5
36.Rb2 Rb5
37.Rc4 Ne5
38.Rc5 Rd5
39.Rxd5 Rxd5
40.Rc2 d3
Liquidating the queenside pawns, after which a draw should be inevitable.
41.exd3 Nxd3
42.Rc8+ Kh7
43.Rc7 Kg6
44.Rxb7 Rd4
45.Rb6+ f6
46.Rd6?
Accompanied by the desired draw offer, which with both players short of time, Black naturally accepted. After 46... Rxe4? 47.Rxd3 Rxb4 the draw is obvious, but in a late twist the grandmaster has just blundered a piece: 46... Ne1+! 47. Kf1 Rxe4 defends the knight, with a winning advantage to Black. It just goes to show, there is always hope for us mere mortals!
½ – ½
Solution: 1. Rxg7+!! Kxg7 (1... Kh8 2. Rh5#) 2. Re7+ Kh6 (2... Kg8 3. Qg7#) 3. Rh7+ Kg5 4. Qg7#.